Creed of Blood (CURRENTLY ON HIATUS)
by MarceVampQueen
Summary: Madelynn is thrown into an employment position with a large and mysterious company. Placed in the genetic research team, she finds herself experiencing memories of people who have been long dead and in turn, finding her own ancestral history. Amongst Assassin's and Templars alike, will she choose the right side in the end, just as her ancestor Maria Thorpe did in the 12th century?
1. Chapter 01

**A/N: Welcome everyone and thank you for taking the time to read my story and I'm sorry for the readers who were with me from the beginning who had to search for this story under this new account. I got locked out of my last one (the one this story was under) so thank you so much for bearing with me. Though this story is gonna get a make over in the process, I hope you will enjoy it more this way seeing as I think the first couple chapters seemed to be unnecessarily detailed about how my OC ended up here. I think I will work it back into the story over time. And for those who already know her origin story, let's please not ruin it for the new ones joining us. Please? . Anyways, lets get started.**

 **CREED OF BLOOD: PROLOGUE**

She had it all, at one point at least. But that was all gone now as Madelynn looked at this the huge office building in front of her. The top of the structure was hidden by the low hanging grey clouds that covered the sky. The building's own dull grey color seemed to blend into the clouds circling it, blending into one another so much so that it was almost impossible to see where the building ended and sky began.

 _What a fitting scene to my situation I suppose._ Madelynn thought to herself as she looked up. There was a chill in the breeze that blew around her. It was about to rain.

"Ready?" A medium height blonde woman in a pantsuit asked as she faced Madelynn, tucking some paperwork under he arm securely. "There's no turning back now." Madelynn adjusted her backpack that she had slung over one shoulder and moved a few strands of hair out from her face as the wind seemed to pick up.

"I'm aware." She spoke, annoyance lying buried in her tone as she started off for the door, trying to leave the blonde behind in the process. She had proved how unrelenting in trivial conversation she was on the ride from the institute and Madelynn was not one for small talk the majority of the time.

Once inside, Madelynn was led to the front desk for an ID badge and then to the elevators, the annoying woman making sure that she followed without complaint. After what seemed to be forever in the elevator, it finally stopped on the 19th floor and opened it's door for them to depart.

"This is the floor where your fellow employees and you will be staying." Madeline looked around the wide open space around them which resembled a common area, complete with furniture, tvs, game consoles, a pool table, etc. The room was connected to a couple of hallways that lead apparently to everyone's living quarters. "There are 8 of you who will reside on this floor, with you being the final team member here. The entire floor is for you to enjoy yourselves while you are employed here, to eat, drink, and sleep in your own personal time. During work hours however you can visit our cafe downstairs."

The woman suddenly turned around and faced Madelynn while tossing her a small set of keys. "Those are to your room. If you have any questions I'm sure you can ask your new team members. But if you come across something that they can't answer, then don't hesitate to contact me." She said as she handed out a red and white business card with her name and information on it. Madelynn read the card to herself.

 _I guess I need to keep this one just in case._ Madelynn thought to herself as she stuffed the card into her pocket as the woman, named Angela by her business card, started back for the elevator.

"So which room is mine?" She called back to Angela as the elevator pinged and opened it's door. She chuckled as she entered and looked back at Madelynn.

"You'll figure it out." She said with a smirk as she pressed a floor number and the doors closed, leaving Madelynn in complete silence except for her thoughts. Looking around the room once more, seeing how plain and business like the downstairs areas were, it was almost refreshing to see an area that looked like humans resided there instead of office robots. Almost. This entire experience felt alien to her. From the pick up from the institute to the car ride to even the marble floors of the downstairs lobby and even the hardwood laminate floor she stood on in her new "home". Still, it couldn't be much worse than where she was at previously.

On that note, Madelynn picked the left hallway to adventure down first in hope of finding her room. Down the hall was a series of four doors, two on each side, next to them were name plates. She found hers at the end of the hall on the right.

 _I guess they figured out how much I appreciate my privacy._ Madelynn thought to herself and she noted the distance her room was from the main living area.

Shoving the key into the lock and turning, she let herself into the cozy bedroom. She expected it to resemble any other hotel room, however she spotted her lineup of favorite books, her personal laptop, the funky shag rug at the side of the her queen size bed, complete with her own bedspread and sheets from home, and even her fat stuffed bunny that she had cherished since childhood. Madelynn felt her backpack slide off her shoulder and hit the ground as she gazed at her room.

"Holy s-." She muttered.

"Gotta watch the language here darling." Madelynn spun around and noted the tall man with long dark hair and hazel eyes that leaned against her doorway. "Gotta hand it to them, they really do try to make it seem like home to us, but honestly if you ask me, it's a bit creepy."

Composing her initial shock, Madelynn cleared her throat before speaking. "I take it you live here as well, seeing as you're so casual walking up behind someone like that."

"My apologies, darling. Didn't mean to scare you." He straightened himself in the door way, pushing up the sleeves on his thin grey long sleeve sweater so that they reached his elbows. "But where are my manners? Name's Zachary." He offered his hand as he took a few steps closer. Madelynn hesitantly shook it.

"Madelynn." She stated.

"It's a pleasure to me you, Madi. Welcome to the team." He said as he drew his hand back and proceeded out of her room, making sure to go to close the door behind him, before once again stopped in the doorway. "I'll leave you to settle in. You've got a busy day ahead of you if you're gonna meet everyone else later." And with that, the door shut behind him, the latch clicking into place.

"Okay... that was weird." Madelynn muttered to herself as she turned back to her belongings. Picking up her backpack and setting it on the desk, she pulled the clothes and essentials from it and put them into their own respective spots in the room. Clothes into the small closet and bathroom toiletries into the personal bathroom attached to the room. _At least I won't have to leave my room just to use the bathroom. Lord only knows how the men here would keep it._

Glancing at the alarm clock on it's stand next to the bed, it read 2:08 pm. Suddenly, Madelynn's stomach roared. In the middle of the transfer, she had forgotten to even think about eating. _Maybe I can find something in the common area. I think I saw a kitchen area._ And with that, Madelynn made sure to grab her keys and lock her door before heading back down the hall.


	2. Chapter 02

**A/N: Welcome back everyone! I know I took this is a seemingly ENTIRE different direction than how I started the story last time. But I promise you that familiar ground will come back soon. As long as I have you guys to keep me motivated and driven to make this story something then I can rest easy about it. I'm really hoping that yall will really like this take on it more anyways. I'm already liking it a lot more. Anyways, please review and favorite it if you really like it. Your reviews will help me continue to strive to make this a lot better. Ciao for now! XD**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ASSASSIN'S CREED OR UBISOFT. JUST MY OCs.**

 **CREED OF BLOOD: CHAPTER 02**

Upon leaving her room, almost immediately Madelynn began to smell the distinct flavor of cooking beef. Following her nose, she found the cooking area of the common area. Over the stove stood another man of almost equal height to Zachary, lost in his own world as he reached for some seasoning. He was dressed in a black tee shirt and cargo shorts. Possibly oblivious to her presence, Madeline thought to knock on the doorway as a way of announcing herself. Before she could though, the man glanced back at her and greeted her.

"Hey. You must be the new girl. I'm Vic." He beemed a quick smile at her before returning his attention to the food.

"Nice to meet you." She stated. "I'm Madelynn."

"Likewise. I just got back and was starving so I thought I would whip something up." He said, glancing over to Madelynn starting to look through the fridge. "You think you can hand me the butter? Forgot to grab it." After finding it, she handed a cold yellow stick to him. "Thanks. Food in there is basically free for grabs. Anyone who wanted anything special tends to keep it in their rooms."

Without missing a beat, she grabbed a cheese stick before shutting the fridge. Leaning against the counter, she gingerly opened the package before taking a bite.

"You're free to have some, you know?" Slightly confused, Madelynn looked up Vic. "It's only Hamburger Helper but I accidentally made too much again. And I promise I won't poison you." He let out a small laugh before looking for Madelynn's reaction. She just looked at him blankly before looking back down at her cheese.

"I came in here for something anyways so... thanks." Vic beemed at her again before switching off the stove and grabbing a couple of plates, then handing her one.

"Help yourself."

They fished out their food before Vic went to sit at a set of table and chairs in one of the corners. Madelynn wondered if she would join him and decided that there would be no harm in it. Sitting down, Madelynn didn't give much more thought before digging into her food. _Maybe I was hungrier than I thought_ , she wondered realizing that she was woofing her food down.

"Damn, didn't think it was that good." Vic blurted out.

"Sorry." Madeline retorted. "It's not bad though. I've had a lot worse."

"Thanks." He replied as he took another bite of his food. "So they have you working with us then? On the genetic research team?"

"That's what I was told on the way here anyways. Anything concerning I should know about?"

"Nothing really. Just make you get a lot of rest and try to eat healthy while you're here. You'll need the energy, trust me."

"So it's pretty exhausting work?" Madelynn picked at a spot on her plate as she looked up at Vic.

"In a sense. I'm sure Brian will explain that to you later though. The first day is always the roughest."

Before Madelynn could inquire about what he meant by that, Zachary burst into the room.

"I thought I smelled food. You guys didn't wait for me, huh? Too eager to put the moves on the new girl aren't you?" Vic's face lit up in blush.

"Am not! That's your department, Zach. If you're gonna be like that though, I shouldn't have saved you any food then." Vic grimaced.

"Aw. Come on, man. You'll scare off the newbie with that scary face." Zachary stated as he wandered into the kitchen. Having cleared her plate, Madelynn went to stand and take away her plate.

"Thanks for the food again." She thanked Vic before heading into the kitchen herself.

"It's no problem." She heard him say before disappearing beyond the doorway. While rinsing off her plate and putting it in the dish drain, the elevator pinged.

"That's weird, the others aren't due back yet." She heard one of the guys mutter as the door to the elevator opened followed by footsteps. She hear a third male voice enter the mix, going through pleasantries and greetings before she approached the open doorway again.

"Oh, there you are." The new male stated with a obviously British accent. His hair was a dirty blonde color compared to Angela's bleached blonde. He wore a white collared dress shirt, slacks, and a pair of glasses that seemed to dull the intensity of his blue eyes. "My name is Brian." He offered his hand and Madelynn shook it gingerly. "I've been asked to retrieve you for your first session."

"Session? I thought I didn't really start until tomorrow." Madeline inquired.

"I'm afraid that some things came down from the higher ups and they asked for you to start immediately. But it shouldn't run too long today. Don't need to burn you out on the first day." Brian informed as he tried plastering a believing smile on his face.

"So it IS that bad then?" With that, Brian's smile sunk into a flat line.

"I really wish you guys would stop scaring new incomers." Brian retorted towards Vic and Zachary, who was busy stuffing his face with food.

"I didn't say anything about it... Vic?" Zachary spat out while still having a mouth full of food.

"She asked but all I said is the first day is always the hardest. Full of adjustments and such. That's it." Vic defended. Brian sighed to himself and rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking back at Madelynn.

"I apologize on the half of those two. They are surely something to be desired." Both guys yelled out at Brian for that comment which left him with a small chuckle. "Anyways, if we leave now, I can have you return back here no later than 7."

With that, Madelynn followed Brian to the elevator and they ascended to the 22nd floor in an awkward and rigid silence. When the doors opened, Brian seemed to immediately flee from the elevator, almost as if it pained him to stand so close to a woman. Madelynn followed him through the cubicles that spotted the floor which was never too far from a person attached with wires and headsets reclined back into a chair.

"Alright." _Oh good, he finally stopped._ Madelynn thought to herself, trying to regulate her slight breathlessness. "Well, for a crash course..." Brian began. "You will be working in this little beauty," He rested his hand on one of the chair consoles. "This is an Animus. We use it to crack open genetic memory codes to literally look through the eyes of the ones who came before us, our ancestors. I'm sure you noticed a few people in use of them, huh?"

Madelynn nodded her head slowly, her mind breaking apart every word Brian spoke trying to fit it all into place. "You're not much of a talker, huh?" Brian inquired.

"Not really, small talk bores me." Madelynn stated plainly.

"Well, my dear, this isn't necessarily small talk. It's a lesson. Once you begin using the Animus, it should become a little easier to use it the more you do so. Since there is so much data to look through for one person, I will be helping to ensure you don't end up in a metaphorical overload." Brian went over to his computer only a few steps away and grabbed a visor headset. "This is one of the most important pieces you'll use while you're in. It will allow to look over your vitals as well as monitor brain activity. Any questions so far?"

Madelynn's puzzled expression must have actually made it to her face because Brian's eyes searched hers. Almost as if he knew there were a dozen questions just on the tip of her tongue. "A few actually..." She stated. "So you will be tapping into MY ancestors' memories and I will be seeing and experiencing them? Like a movie?"

"Not quite." Brian started to place the visor headset on Madelynn's head. "Good, it fits. Anyways..." Brian started to look through some files he grabbed at the same time as the visor. "You will see, hear, smell, taste, and feel everything you're ancestor does but you are also in control of their body for the majority of it. You have to repeat their actions and follow their path so that we may learn more about them. But this doesn't change the past. You just get a first hand look. If you stray too far from their path then that can cause some problems."

"What kind of problems?" Madelynn interjected. Brian's face had one of worry on it.

"I wouldn't dwell too much on it. Just it will be harder for us to work properly. Now, sit down please in the Animus." Madelynn did as requested.

"So what's the most important piece of running the Animus?" Madelynn asked before Brian offered his hand again. "Your arm please." Madelynn's puzzled expression returned and she cautiously offered up from arm. An IV appeared in Brian's free hand. She snatched back her arm and pulled it hard against her chest.

"HELL NO!" Madelynn exclaimed. "I've had enough needles." Brian's look softened into an apologetic one.

"The animus uses the blood of the participant to gain access to the brain and genetic code in the rest of the body, meanwhile we have a constant flow of mild tranquilizers to ensure you don't accident get ripped out of the memories and to prevent anyone from getting hurt from any fight or flight response you may have." Madelynn slowly started to relax. "You asked what the most important piece was, and it is the IV. The visor only helps the process along better. "

Madelynn's unwavering gaze went from the IV to Brian, searching his face for any hint that he was lying. From what she noticed, he wasn't. She sighed and let her body loosen up once again and offered up her arm. Brian silently slipped in the needle and taped it to her skin. His eyes finally went to her face, searching.

"You're in good hands with me. I'm the most experienced Animus Technician here. I'm not gonna let anything else bad happen to you anymore." Immediately, Brian moved over to his desk to start up the program. Madelynn could already feel the tranquilizer tasking effect.

"Wait..." She called for Brian, whose eyes met hers. "What do you mean _anymore_?" Brian's face showed slight panic before authorizing the start up of the program and throwing Madelynn into the Animus system.


	3. Chapter 03

**A/N: Hey everyone. Finally got some familiar ground in the last chapter. Gotta love cliffhangers though. TEEHEE. ANYWAYS... I hope yall will continue to read the story and favorite and review. I'm always excited to hear from yall. Well then, lets dive in.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ASSASSIN'S CREED OR UBISOFT. JUST MY OCs.**

 **CREED OF BLOOD: CHAPTER 03**

Madelynn's mind went blank for a few seconds before finding herself in a white room. She looked down at her body and saw that everything was in place, including the shirt, jeans, and converse she had been wearing.

"I guess I'm in the Animus now." _That bastard left me hanging. What the hell did he mean by that anyways?_ Madelynn clenched her fist in frustration before forcing the thought out of her mind to look around her.

" _WELCOME TO THE ANIMUS."_ A synthetic female voice spoke as the area around Madelynn began to fracture around her. Shards that reflected like mirrors danced around her. _"RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC CHECK."_ As some of the fractured shards came close to her, she noticed that she could touch them but their edges though sharp, would not cut. Grabbing a bigger piece, Madelynn held it up to her face as she took in her own reflection. The same brown eyes and hair that she was born with. The same chin that she hated. The same everything. Suddenly a flash of green appeared in her peripheral vision.

Letting go of the fragment, she followed the shadow of green that danced through the shards with her eyes. Slowly it seemed to move closer and closer to her until it seemed like she could reach out and touch it. In a flash, she reached for the image and instead of grabbing the shard, her hand went through it and she felt in her hand a swatch of coarse cloth. More shards gravitated toward the piece she held and they began forming together until she saw the reflection of a woman she did not recognize. A woman of equal height to her, similar build, but with short light blonde hair and green eyes. She let go of the piece of cloth she held, her green cloak. Madelynn blinked once and the woman's hair was as dark as her own, longer now down to her shoulder, but her green eyes remained.

" _ANCESTOR FOUND: MARIA THORPE."_ Madelynn had heard the voice but drowned it out amongst her own thoughts. Her head cocked to one side and Maria followed suit at the same time. Madelynn ran her hands through her hair and the same occurred directly in front of her. Curiosity filled her as she reached out a hand in front of her, palm out, trying to touch the woman once again. Maria did the same, their hands touching but the feeling of skin against skin was absent, as if a thin pane of glass was all that seperated them. From where they made contact, a ripple spread out like it does when still water is disturbed.

" _ATTEMPTING SYCHRONIZATION"_ The voice spoke again. As if not on her own accord, Madelynn stepped forward and stepped through the barrier. As she did, looking back she saw the room from before was gone and she was somewhere else entirely. An endless blue abyss stretched out all around her, the shards traveling back into their respective area. Madelynn went to chase one of the last ones hoping to see a bit of reflection when she noticed an unfamiliar drag. Looking behind her, she saw that she was now wearing the same green cloak Maria was wearing. In a panic, Madelynn looked over her entire body and noted the wardrobe change. As the last shard fit back into place in front of her, the same green eyes from before briefly reflected back at her.

"Holy shit... I'm... I'm, what was her name? Maria? I'm her now, aren't I?"

"Hello there. You can hear you, right?" A male voice popped in.

"Brian, is that you?" Madelynn called out amongst the wide expanse.

"The one and only. I see you've found your way pretty easily for not having a tutorial at their fingertips."

"Curiosity killed the cat... But what the hell just happened?"

"Simply, you found your ancestor and synced with her. From this point, you will appear as if you are her and follow in her steps. However it seems that the first memory seems to be one that, to put it lightly, is more or less unpleasant."

"Define unpleasant." Madelynn probed.

"Just try to bear with it. Yes, it will be uncomfortable but it's the most stable point to put you out at. If we don't keep you stable then it could all fracture from there." Brian stated in a slightly rushed tone.

"Brian you have haven't been straight up with me so far, dodging my questions. What is THAT about!?" Madelynn was starting to get uncharacteristically angry at this point, her fists clenching at her sides, however her frustration was deemed warranted to herself.

"I think you just need to see for yourself is all. This isn't something that I can explain like a textbook, no matter how hard I tried. It's just something you have to experience first hand. All things reveal themselves in time. I don't want to put you through anything that you shouldn't be able to handle on your own." Brian seemed to coddle her at the end.

"Then..." Madelynn spoke the words before her brain could follow up. A sigh escaped past her lips. "Have you ever done this? Have you ever used the animus yourself?" There was a moment of silence that seemed to last forever. Did Brian really sever the chat over another question? "BRIAN!" She screamed.

"YES!..." Brian yelled back. "Yes." He said once again, this time a bit more calmer. "I used the animus once. Personally I discovered that the job behind the desk was much better. It... It wasn't for me." Madelynn took in his answer. At least he gave her that much.

"Okay then." She stated in a low voice.

"Alright, now..." Madelynn heard some keys ticking away from his end. "Attempting to enter the memory now. Good luck, Madi." Suddenly the contact was disconnected and the abyss started to recede from the horizon towards her. Just as the edge reached her Madeline spoke to herself.

"Thank you, Brian."


	4. Chapter 04

**A/N: Alright everyone, looks like we are beginning to gain some traction again. I'm confident this time I'm getting my ideas out and onto paper (technically screen, but still...) more effectively. In the last chapter we saw how Madelynn acts around, I guess what you would call, the general population. At least the couple of people she will be living with. And no, it's not just gonna be guys living there. This isn't one of those otome dating games. I just needed to place those to first two in first to show a little of how Madelynn will tend to keep people at arms length most of the time. But we also saw how there's room for her and Brian to form some trust in their relationship, especially since her life is technically in his hands. JUST FYI if you wanna read that deep into things, which I truly hope yall do. SO LETS CONTINUE ON!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ASSASSIN'S CREED OR UBISOFT. JUST MY OCs.**

 **CREED OF BLOOD: CHAPTER 04**

The land laid full of bodies before her, blood staining her clothes and sword. The battle was over, but to Maria's dismay, the forces she had served with laid at her feet, defeated. With no energy to move, Maria knelt to the ground in exhaustion, bracing against her sword to keep her upright. Her body screamed at her once the adrenaline had worn off but her heart sped up with new vigor as she noticed men from the opposing army move towards her. Their armor and robes stained in the same color red as the cross on their chests. Maria forced her body to stand and readied her blade. One of the men chuckled as they continued towards her, swords at the ready.

"Seems we still have a fighter." His partner laughed at the retort as they situated themselves on each side of her. Looking left, then right, then left again, Maria lunged towards her left, swinging her sword hard and fast against the soldier. He blocked her attack and threw her back as his partner ran up behind her to bury his sword in her flesh. Still running on her adrenaline, Maria turned sharply and barely missed the sword that had left a shallow cut in her upper arm. She grimaced in pain before striking the man in the back, catching his shoulder and slicing across his back. He groaned in protest of the pain of where her sword hit where armor wouldn't cover. He doubled back and swung again at her while she dodged again. At some point, the other soldier had made his way into a blind spot and slammed into her with all his might, sending her crashing to the ground and sword out of hand. The more injured of the two kicked her sword away while the other pulled her to her knees by her armor before shoving her back down to the earth.

"Are you done?" One asked. "If you give up now, we might just let you live." The man laughed. With her last bit of energy, Maria slammed herself into the soldier's torso and got in a of couple good punches before her head exploded with pain as she was hit in the head with something hard. A shield? She toppled off of the soldier and back onto the ground as her world swirled around her. The last thing she heard was the sound of footsteps moving towards her as everything turned black.

[Meanwhile]

Brian had just disconnect the conversation right before he sent Madelynn into the memory. Just the sequence finished completion, he heard Madelynn speak through his own headset.

"Thank you, Brian."

He could very well hear everything she thought AND said while in the Animus if he desired to do so, but the statement still rang in his ears as if he had heard something that he wasn't supposed to. Even IF it was directed at him, which it was. Suddenly there was a ping on his computer. It was a voice chat request: Angela. Without hesitation he answered.

 _"How's our newest recruit?"_ Angela asked over the comm.

"Oh hello, Angela. So nice to speak to you again. How have you been?"

 _"Brian..."_ She warned over the comm.

"Oh um, Madelynn? Yes, she is adapting wonderfully. She even found her ancestor and synced with her without help."

 _"Excellent."_

"She is stable at the moment, though her heart rate did just spike as expected. Are you sure that THAT memory was the best one to start out with? Couldn't we have gone just a little further back? Something more peaceful to build her up to it?" Brian probed, guilt starting to fester inside him.

 _"And what? Wade through years of useless family issues? We need the information from her times as a Templar in the Crusades and damn it, then that's where we will start. From there we will find the link to the brotherhood that we need. This is the only lead we haven't taken yet. We've exhausted all the others, Brian. It's YOUR job to ensure that she gets through it in enough pieces that we can still use her after the fact should we need to."_ Angela berated him.

"You mean, in one piece, right?" Brian corrected hoping that he had heard wrong.

 _"No."_ Was Angela's only response on the subject. _"Keep me updated."_

"Yes ma'am." Brian responded before the comm disconnected and he turned his attention back to Madelynn, stealing a glance at her still body in the Animus. He felt her name softly drop from his mouth as he thought about what he said earlier. _All things reveal themselves in time._ Brian couldn't help but wonder how it would effect Madelynn when this knowledge would eventually come to light. But for now, he needed her to trust him, if nothing else.

[Back in the Animus]

Maria's back protested in the back of the wagon. Even after leaving England to come to the Holy Land for a new life and for the thrill of the fight, Maria would have never thought the day would come where she would be defeated in battle and taken capture. Though disguised as a man, it didn't matter much once you were prisoner, except that possibly she would spared from the horrors normally inflicted upon female prisoners of war.

A sharp pain rang through her, suddenly remember that she had a cut on her arm and remembering why she had a torturous headache. Glancing down, she saw that her arm was already bandaged. Looking at the other four in the carriage, her comrades, she noticed the depressed and distraught faces alike that returned her look back at her.

"Are we... all that's left?" Maria found the courage to ask only to be disheartened by the answer. One man nodded their head as a he reached for a skin of water and handed it to Maria. She accepted it silently before taking a few sips and attempting to hand it back before he simply raised his hand in a no.

"You need it, you've been out for a while. And lasted a lot longer than most of us." Maria looked at the men around her when she felt their gazes set upon her. They all nodded in silent agreement. Bringing the skin back to her side, she muttered a small thank you.

The wagon continued it's journey for a while longer before it finally stopped and guards came around back to unlock the barred down of the capture wagon. Everyone disembarked without a word while the guards barked orders at everyone to follow them down to the dungeon area of the fort they arrived at.

"Everyone except you..." A soldier grabbed Maria by the tattered armor and pulled her roughly aside. Had they seen something to reveal her disguise? "There's someone who wants to see you." Without protest, Maria was drug inside the fort by chains at her hands and feet.

"Sir! We brought the prisoner!" One soldier called out as a man with a bald head and Crusader armor approached while the guards kept a firm grip of Maria's chains.

"Thank you, you may return to your post." The man spoke with a thick french accent. The soldier responded with another 'Yes, sir.' before turning to walk out the door they had just entered. Suddenly, the man's gaze was shifted fully onto Maria. "My men speak of your fighting skills and even of your attempt to resist capture after the battle was over. Yet, they must be talking of another. You certainly don't look like the man that carved through one hundred of my men. Too small and fragile looking."

"Looks can be very deceiving." Maria spoke aloud before being pulled down to the floor by her chains and a foot planted square between her shoulder blades.

"YOU WILL SPEAK WHEN ONLY ASKED!" A guard spat out as he ground his heel into her spine. Maria grimaced in pain.

"ENOUGH!" The bald man ordered. Immediately the guard retracted his foot and Maria went to stand once more. "Yes, indeed. Looks can be VERY deceiving. But if the accounts are true... then you are someone I want on my side." The man eyed Maria carefully while she stared back with unwavering intent. "Remove the chains." The man ordered plainly.

"But sir..." A guard started.

"I SAID REMOVE THEM!" The guards immediately began stripping Maria of her chains. Maria rubbed her wrists gingerly, thankful to be free from the iron restraints.

"I supposed a thank you is in order, monsieur." Maria stated plainly.

"I supposed. So you are educated then?" The man inquired.

"Yes, monsieur. I studied in England from an early age."

"Then that explains why you do not resemble these pathetic infidels we fight here." He chuckled to himself. "You have a name soldier?"

"My comrades called me Marcus." Maria gave her usual alias, letting not a trace of her femininity show through her facade. Just as tough and cold as ever however.

"My name is Robert De Sable. I could use a capable man like you amongst my ranks. Would you considering joining my cause?" Maria's eyes laid straight upon the giant red cross that laid bare upon Robert's chest, just like the ones on the men that she had cut down on the battle field just hours before.

"If it means that I can fight, then yes." Maria answered as plainly as she could. At this point, nothing mattered except living to fight another day and if she remained a prisoner, her chances of that were slim to none.

"Excellent. Men..." Robert called over a couple guards. "See that this man is washed up, treated, and fed a proper meal." Robert switched his attention back to Maria. "We will see you for training once your wounds have healed."

"With all due respect, I will be ready tomorrow." Maria stared him down, unrelenting.

"Very well. We will see you then." And with that, Maria was escorted away.


	5. Chapter 05

**A/N: YAY! We made it to chapter 05. I know to some, this isn't a huge accomplishment but for me, it's the furthest I've been able to publish a story so far. I'm just a newbie still I guess but it won't be like that for too much longer. There's gonna be a slight jump in time in the Animus, like they do in the games, just to get the ball rolling with the Templar relationship and such. But I promise, Altair is right around the corner. Remember, that I'm trying to give Maria credit where she is due since the games didn't show a ton of her and her own problems. She was an amazing woman who is as just strong and courageous as her life love counterpart. PLEASE REVIEW AND FAVORITE IF YOU LIKE MY STORY. My readers are what keep me going. LUV YALL!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ASSASSIN'S CREED OR UBISOFT. JUST MY OCs.**

 **CREED OF BLOOD: CHAPTER 05**

Brian was shifting through when all the data on his computer when he thought to check in with Madelynn again. She was probably thrown for a loop being tossed in the middle of a skirmish after a major fight. He was surprised that her brain waves didn't go haywire with the amount of pain and emotional distress Maria was already in. _Gotta hand it to the girl though, she's tougher than I thought._

Brian searched through Maria's time stream and found another memory that could possibly be entered. _Well, she's still stable. If nothing else, a little roughed up. We need to speed things up though. But..._ His mind trailed off. _Just a little longer. Give her a feel for the body._

[Back in Animus]

The night wore on like any other after a bath and fresh meal. Maria felt invigorated once again as she laid on her new cot. They had given her a personal room away from the others for the night at least. Probably for some decent rest so her wounds would have a chance to heal. After tomorrow, she would be bunking with the remainder of her new battle mates. _I guess they want to me to stay that bad. For some reason._ Lost in thought, Maria drifted off to sleep for the night. As soon as sleep took over, the room in which her body was sleeping began to splinter into shards. The animus was trying to reconstruct the next day already. Suddenly Madelynn was dumped right back into the blue abyss like earlier, her weariness fading quickly. In the dark, Madelynn heard a familiar voice.

"So how was it?" Brian asked.

"Talk about out of the pan and into the fire. What did I just get myself into?" Madelynn asked with a hint of concern.

"You mean, what did MARIA get herself into?" Brian corrected.

"You just LOVE correcting people don't you?" She teased.

"It comes with the job I guess. I'm not a brainiac for nothing. Gotta put that information to you. And oh how I love being politically correct." Brian jested. Madelynn felt smile pull at her face but refused to let it show.

"So what now? Training?" She inquired.

"No, I'm just gonna jump you a few months further along. It will give you some answers about the people we are dealing with." He stated while Madelynn heard more keys typing.

"Alright. I need some answers. Especially, about that creep Ro... What was his name?" She struggled for the name.

"Robert De Sable. He is a person of great importance as you will come to learn." Madelynn nodded her head slowly, trying to piece together what she's seen so far. After a moment of silence between the two, Brian spoke up.

"I know you're still getting used to the body but if you could keep your mind free during some of the interactions, it would help. Just looking for some stuff of importance. Even small stuff."

"Anything specific?" Madelynn asked.

"There's another hidden side to the Crusades. Two actually. Just try to be open minded. Denial could end up messing up bad believe it or not." Brian warned.

"Fair enough. Alright, send me through." She requested without hesitation.

"What? No 'quit dragging me around' or 'what the hell man'?" Brian spurred off, rambling.

"Just do it. You have my attention and curiosity. Don't waste it." Madelynn stated.

Once again, the abyss began to creep closer to her from the horizon. Before she could change her mind, Madelynn made a break for the edge. _Nothing ventured, nothing gained._ She said to herself as she literally jumped into the next memory.

[The Holy Land, 1189]

"Marcus!" Robert called for Maria by alias as they arrived back to the fort from battle.

"Oui, Lieutenant." She responded back as she hastily moved to stand before him, her helm tucked safely under her arm.

"I heard of more of your success on the battle field thanks to you." Robert praised.

"Thank you, sir. But I'm not the only one who fought. All of the men fought valiantly." She spoke, trying to the keep the conversation formal.

"I'm sure they did. Walk with me?" He asked, his hand gesturing towards the interior of the fort. Maria nodded and followed him. Along the halls deep within the building, Robert began speaking again. "I'm sure you've noticed that the enemies you've faced recently are different than the normal rabble."

"Yes, I have. They are skilled, I will give them that. And if nothing else mysterious, disappearing at the drop of a pin." Maria thought back to the fight a few days prior. They were sent to investigate a possible infidel encampment. And among them, were men who dressed as scholars and yet bore weapons and fought as if they were possessed by demons. However, to Maria, they almost appeared angelic when they struck from above as when her men were ambushed. And yet, now they lay defeated at her hands.

Robert chuckled to himself. "Yes they are quite fierce-some. But that is why I am glad we have YOU." He said he briefly laid his hand upon her shoulder. The touch made Madelynn cringe on the inside however. "You've exceeded my expectations and for that, I think you deserve to know some things."

Robert removed his hand from Maria's shoulder as they descended a flight of stairs into the basement. Soon they reached a door that Robert proceeded to open, leading Maria inside. Inside was massive table set with food and various other gentlemen, with banners hanging from the ceiling depicting the crusader's red cross. He motioned for Maria to take a seat at the table while he found another. Once everyone had joined the table, an elder man at the head of the table wearing ornate robes with a red cross pendant that hung proudly from around his neck.

"Brothers, my name is Gerard De Ridefort and I would like to personally thank you for attending this evening. All of you have been hand picked to be here this evening; tis a great honor. We also have another honor we would like for you all to take into consideration."

Confusion spread throughout Madelynn as she scanned the men's faces around the room. Some old, some new, but all clung to the man's words as if he was the only drop of water left in the desert.

"As you know, the enemy we face is quite formidable. These men have many names... Scholars, Infidels, Hashashin is sometimes prefered. But today we will simply call them for what they are. Assassin's. The world's biggest threat to world peace. These individuals have undermined us for years and I believe that it's time to bring in some fresh blood, so to speak." Maria stole a glance at Robert who was caught looking just as intently back at her.

"You have been offered this evening a place amongst our own ranks. The ones who will create a new world for all to enjoy. The one's who must eradicate this Assassin menace so that this dream of world peace and New World Order may come into fruition. The ones known as The Knights Templar. Of those of you willing to join our cause, stand before the one who brought you here tonight."

Every man stood and shuffled behind their chair, some standing to face the wall. Other moving to face their inductee. Robert appeared before Maria once more, fishing a ring that bore the red cross out from his pocket, he held it protectively in his hand.

"Extend out your hands, gentlemen." Everyone followed suit as the rings were slipped upon their fingers. "Mark and remember our purpose. To guide all wayward souls until they reach the quite road. To guide all wayward desire until impassioned hearts are cooled. To guide all wayward minds to safe and sober thought. Together we will usher in the dawn of the New World. May the Father of Understanding guide us." The room fell into a echo of the blessing. "Tonight, let us dine in celebration of our new members and for victory against the evils of the world."

With that, everyone took back their respective seats. Even though Maria's stomach pleaded to take part in the spread of food before her, she was instead lost in thought while her thumb repeated rubbing over the new ring on her hand. Eventually her body gave into her hunger, but Madelynn's mind was still reeling.

 _All this time, Maria has been working as a Templar. The whole war between kings is just a cover for these guys to get what they want. World peace though... I heard the conspiracy theories of a New World Order before but I didn't think that they were anything other than just THAT. THEORIES. Let alone that they had roots back in the Holy Land. It's a nice idea I won't lie, but how are they gonna get everyone to bend down under one rule like that? Under Templars?_

Madelynn's head spun with thoughts and ideas, trying to sort them out. Just as she thought she would lose her sanity, the room fractured and she was being pulled from the memory. Inside of being dropped off in the abyss however, she found that her eyes were opening back in the Animus exactly where she had been left. Brian stood up to help her out of the equipment.

"I guess you have a lot of questions." He spoke lowly.

"You can say that." Madelynn struggled to speak as she was helped into a sitting position. The tranquilizer was still wearing off and she felt dizzy and slight nauseous.

"Just take it easy at first and slow down." Brian suggested as he scooted his chair closer to the Animus before sitting back down. He looked around the room and saw that almost everyone had retired for the day, leaving no extra ears to pick up their discussion. "What's your first one? I know you're wracking your brain right now. Your scan lit up like a Christmas tree."

Madelynn signed and cradled her face in her hands. "Aren't Templars just the Knights from the Crusades? What kind of organization are they?"

"They explained that they wanted to create a New World did they not? That's their main philosophy. But they will stop at nothing to achieve it. Even..." Brian trailed off.

"Even, what?" She asked.

"Even looking for a way to control free will." He explained, his face straight and his voice almost monotone.

"How is that...?" Madelynn started but Brian interjected.

"I told you to keep an open mind. There are some things that seem like fiction but are more often than not are true." Brian's words rushed out all at once, seeming worried about who could possibly hear. Madelynn let a sigh escape her lips.

"How much exactly did I miss in that jump? I feel like I'm missing a lot of information." She looked back up Brian, searching his face for answers.

"A lot of fighting and formality. Maria used this time to get close to Robert and did some investigating of her own in a sense. She was onto something but lacked the knowledge to put it place. Now, she has it."

"And she sided with them..." The words were supposed to come out as a statement but it sounded more a question to her ears. Changing topics, Brian stood up to help Madelynn up.

"Let's get you back for the night. You must be exhausted." She didn't resist his offer and help and they rode the elevator back down to her floor in silence one again. Just as the door went to open, Brian stopped Madelynn.

"I'll send you a dossier of the information you missed if you wanna brush up more on it." Brian offered.

"Thank you. I'd appreciate it." She responded as she left the elevator and waved a quick goodbye to Brian as the door closed back behind her, leaving him alone in his thoughts.


	6. Chapter 06

**A/N: Hey guys. Glad to see yall again. Here's chapter 06 for yall. I hope that the pace I've set for the story is good enough for right now. I know we put Madelynn through the ringer in the last chapter and it was a lot to take in. But I think this next chapter should fill in some holes as well. Here's hoping for another successful update guys!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ASSASSIN'S CREED OR UBISOFT. JUST MY OCs.**

 **CREED OF BLOOD: CHAPTER 06**

As soon as Madelynn stepped out of the elevator, Vic and Zachary jumped off from their spots on the couch.

"You're back!" Zachary exclaimed as he and Vic approached her. Suddenly, Madelynn dropped to a knee and held her head in between her hands. A splitting headache came out of nowhere.

"Please, can we keep it down a bit? My head is killing me." Madelynn requested with a voice that was just barely above a whisper. Vic kneeled down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Immediately though, she flinched away at his touch. Vic gave an apologetic look as he instead offered his hand for her to stand.

"I told you the first day is always the hardest." He whispered so low and yet Madelynn caught every single word.

"Yeah, you did. Sorry." She responded, taking his hand to pull her to her feet. Vic looked over at Zachary before asking him to retrieve some water for her. Zachary just nodded before disappearing into the kitchen. Vic sat her on one end of the couch while he took the other. _Was it that obvious that I needed some space?_

A moment later, Zachary appeared with a cold bottle of water and handed it to Madelynn who took it graciously. She went to look up at him and thank him but instead she saw the man in the wagon with Maria who had offered his skin to her. Blinking and then quickly rubbing her eyes, she looked back at him to see Zachary standing there as before. His eyes glazed over her's and his gaze bore deep into her.

"I guess the Bleeding Effect has already begun. You were in there longer than we thought." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's PAST 10 o'clock and you're just now getting back. That's almost a full 8 hours."

"Wait, it's already that late?" Madelynn went looking for the time somewhere and found it on the DVR setting next to the TV. It read 10:17. _Damn they weren't kidding._ "But..." She trailed off for a moment. "...what's the 'bleeding effect'?" Madelynn looked over Zachary as he sat on the ottoman in front of her.

"The things you see in Animus lay over what you see here. Just visions and stuff." Vic explained, Madelynn's attention drifting over to him instead. "Normally it doesn't start to set in until the second or third time you've used the Animus but..." The words suddenly became lost on his tongue as he looked over Madelynn.

"Have you ever seen anything like the Animus before? Or attempted to use one before?" Zachary quickly asked. Madelynn just shook her head no and opened the bottle of water to take a few sips.

"No... Not that I'm aware of." Madelynn stated, her face blank but her mind in every direction. She sighed, trying to still her head before slowing getting up. "I think I'm gonna turn in. Thanks for the concern though. I'll see you guys in the morning." She bid them farewell before heading straight for her room and locking the door behind her.

Turning on the light, she immediately took her shoes off and begin searching through her laptop for some music to drown out her thoughts. That's when she noticed that she was connected to the company's employee wifi. She had a new email from Brian along with her welcoming info packet sent directly by the company. _That was quick._ She thought to herself. Despite her throbbing headache, Madelynn desperately needed to fit the pieces into their places while she still was in critical thinking mode.

Upon opening it, she skimmed through the welcome packet briefly. _Abstergo Industries would like to welcome you to our team... yada yada... You start accruing time off for vacations after your first 1000 hours in the Animus or first year with the company, which ever comes first... more blah blah blah..._ Quickly, Madelynn lost interest and went to the dossier that Brian had sent.

Instead of skimming over it, Madelynn actually took the time to read the information on her screen. It talked about Maria's early life and leaving England, basically running from a forced marriage and the family problems that ensured soon after. He included key moments that Maria had when transitioning into fighting in the Crusades and her eventual fall into Templar hands and who they were. A more detailed look into some of their history and motives during the 12th century. He also wrote about how Maria had slowly earned Robert's trust and with it, he had her's as well.

The last sentence made Madelynn's skin crawl again. _Eww._ _Talk about a bad taste in guys if she ends up with him. It'll take me forever to scrub my skin of that filth._ After she finished reading all of Brian's notes and shoving the disgusting mental picture into the darkest recesses of her mind, she found a suitable playlist and went to shower before bed.

[Meanwhile]

Brian had just finished sending a detailed report of the day's Animus session results to Angela when his phone silently lit up beside his laptop. UNKNOWN NUMBER the caller ID read. He already knew who it was however so he answered.

" _The line secured?"_ A female voice asked.

"Of course, Rebecca. What do you take me for, a dunce?" He jested.

 _"Cut the crap, Shaun. You know we can't be too careful. Even making this call is risky."_ Rebecca scolded him however it brought a small smile to his face. He had almost forgotten what his real name sounded like, he had been there so long.

"I know. Though I'd figured you would've contacted sooner since I haven't been able to get downstairs lately." Shaun explained.

 _"I take it something good came up?"_ Rebecca asked.

"If by 'good' you mean a blast from the past, then sort of." Shaun tried explaining.

 _"Is it Desmond?!"_ Rebecca blurted out, the ache in Shaun's chest resurfacing briefly at the memory of the Grand Temple.

"Not quite. More along the lines of Altair... His wife really... Maria. They found her descendant." Shaun scrolled through the synopsis of the day's session once more. "They are looking into every possible lead they can think of; thinking they might have missed something or SOMEONE important. So they are doubling back with Maria Thorpe."

 _"Anything that stands out about the descendant?"_ Besides the fact that she could give Shaun a run for his money at times? The way she could coax information out of him so easily, he would have to be more on his guard around her. And at the same time, earn her trust.

"Well..." Nothing of real importance was standing out from the dossier he had received on her the day she was picked up however... "Give me a second."

Shaun's figurative mental light bulb sparked at that moment as he began typing at a remarkable pace. Hacking straight into the Abstergo server database, he was able to pull up her personal file. They had done enough research on her to more than impress him, everything from favorite foods and health records, to childhood friends and everything in between. He briefly scanned her profile. "She certainly has had her share of bad experiences and traumas but... no ties to either side are really surfacing. It's just..." The light bulb in his head blazed brightly as he resumed his fast typing.

 _"Just what?"_ Rebacca pushed for more information.

"If I cross reference her and Maria's files..." He scanned the files side by side for a few moments before speaking again. "A lot of their personality traits and life circumstances are eerily similar to one another. Almost..." Shaun trailed off.

 _"Shaun? You know I can't stand dead air."_ Rebecca chastised.

"...As if it's the same person but... different body?" Shaun thought aloud. Rebecca exploded into laughter on the other end of the receiver.

 _"Come on, I wouldn't peg you as one to believe in reincarnation."_ Rebecca joked.

"I'm not. It might just be pure coincidence though. Like the similarities between Lincoln and Kennedy." Shaun struggled to change the subject.

 _"Alright, Alright, whatever you say smart ass. I gotta go anyways so, try to keep me posted?"_ Shaun smirked.

"Will do."

When the call ended Shaun laid the phone back down on the table and stared at his computer screen a little longer. _Maybe Abstergo was REALLY onto something when they recruited her._ He thought absent-mindlessly as he looked back at her pick-up information. _She was picked up from The Gardens of Hope Institute but, why?"_ He continued to look though her records before he finally found what he looking for.

"Oh." He slowly read over the information again. "THAT'S why."


	7. Chapter 07

**A/N:** **Holy cow! Chapter 07! I'm so thankful for those of you have read my story, especially the ones who thought to follow it and or favorite. Not that I'm picking favorite fans here LOL. I'm just really excited still. Anyways, BIG BOMB DROP last chapter. Some of y'all probably had already seen that coming but, I couldn't help but add Shaun into it somehow. He and Rebecca are the only ones I would really trust to help run the Animus. So I used the fact that from basically ACIV: Black Flag on, they had gone under cover under Abstergo to my advantage. I can't wait to show you all that I have in store for this however and I'm REALLY SORRY that it's taking me a bit longer with these other chapters. I posted so many up so quick I guess I burned out a little. But here we are, so... GERONIMO!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ASSASSIN'S CREED OR UBISOFT. JUST MY OCs.**

 **CREEDS OF BLOOD: CHAPTER 07**

The night waned on slowly as Madelynn tossed around in her sleep, her dreams refusing to give her rest after such a long and exhausting day. Visions of the bloodshed in Jerusalem and of her own memories stained her mind, causing her to bolt up in a rush of panic as her dream ended for the night. Despite the blackout curtains in her room, Madelynn could see the thin sheen of sweat that covered her, her breathing ragged and heart feeling as if it would escape her chest. She curled her legs close to her chest as she slowly managed to even out her panicked state.

 _"What I wouldn't give for the nightmares to stop for just one night."_ She thought to herself before leaving the comfort of her bed and moving to the bathroom to rinse her face. As she watched the water drip down over the dark circles under her eyes and down her flushed cheeks, she took a moment to actually LOOK at herself for the first time in a while. While her skin had paled from all of the time she had spent locking herself away indoors, her eyes had darkened to the point where they had resembled coals instead of the bright and shining brown that they had once been.

Forcing the thoughts from her head, Madelynn quickly rinsed off in the shower before redressing for the day, thinking to use some concealer under her eyes so as to avoid unwanted comments and concerns. There was still so much to learn here and she couldn't afford for people to distract her from that. Out of the blue, there was a sudden knock at her door.

"Just a moment!" She called out as she finished her routine with a quick brush of her mahogany hair before answering the door. There before her, stood a short young woman with sleek auburn hair that was cut short into a bob and beautiful emerald green eyes. In her hand was a manila envelope with Madelynn's name scrawled on it in barely legible chicken scratch.

"This came for you this morning." She said as she handed out for the envelope, Madelynn gently taking it. "My name is Emma. It's nice to meet you." She greeted warmly, a sweet smile adorning her face.

"Madelynn." She quickly introduced before the smell of eggs and bacon hit her nose. "Is someone cooking breakfast?" She inquired to Emma. She petite woman nodded quickly while a small affirmative noise escaped her.

"Actually, Vic sent me. Said that if you didn't hurry up that you'd miss out." Madelynn slowly regarded her words, tempted to decline the offer for the comfort of her inverted nature however her stomach roared in response. _Guess I can't say no now._ She thought to herself as she sent the envelope on the bed, making sure to grab her cell phone in the meantime, and followed Emma to the dining area. Sure enough, Vic was once again over the stove slaving away while the other resident's of the floor sat at the table. It was almost immediately that he turned around, noticing her presence.

"Glad to see you're up." He greeted her warmly.

"Thank you." She spoke, her voice still low from the lack of use in the new day. Looking over to the table, she noticed a few new faces added to the mix. Zachary noticed her slight confusion as soon it found itself to her face, instantly speaking up so that he may introduce her to the others.

"Madelynn, I don't think you had the chance to meet the others after you came home last night." He motioned to the other five gathered at the table and went in a clockwise fashion, pointing to each person as their names were given.

First was a girl with flawless dark skin and heavy eye liner dressed in a black pair of skinny jeans and a metal band tee shirt, her dark curly locks spilling out from underneath her beanie. "Hey, I'm Sasha." She greeted.

Next there was male with ginger hair and glasses who wore just a plain tee shirt and jeans, his eyes transfixed on a PSP in her hands. "Matthew!" Zachary yelled, giving the man's introduction away. "No video games when we eat!"

"Sorry..." He said quickly as he reached a save point and turned off the game system, returning it to his pocket before he turned to greet Madelynn. "Welcome to your new home." She gave a small nod in thanks. Beside him was a brother-sister pair of fraternal twins with light brown hair and hazel eyes. " 'Morning." They greeted simultaneously before looking to each other with a slightly annoyed look on both of their faces.

"Forever in sync these two are." Matthew piped up which earned playful glares from the twins.

"Always." Zachary agreed.

Finally there sat another man with short coal black hair and gray blue eyes who slumped into the back of his seat, his arms crossed across his chest. He gave a small nod in acknowledgement of her presence before speaking. "My name is Zander. It's nice to meet you." Even though his words appeared friendly, his tone was flat and gave off his disinterest of her being there. He had given Madelynn the cold shoulder but it didn't seem to phase her.

"It's nice to meet you too." She replied back courteously before finding her seat next to Zachary as Vic brought forth a fresh fresh plate out for her, setting it down on the table. Seeing as almost everyone was still in the process of eating, she quickly thanked Vic before digging in herself. However it wasn't long before they began asking her questions.

"So apparently you got back late last night?" Sasha asked, probing for a subject to talk about.

"Yeah, sometime around ten I think." Madelynn stated as she chewed her food.

"And it was your first day too?" Matthew asked before shoving more food into his mouth, barely chewing it by the time he swallowed. "That's rough."

Madelynn's only agreement to his statement was a quick 'hmm' as she ate her food. "Actually..." she began. "I rather not think too much on it. I'm still trying to process all the information from it."

Everyone's eyes cast down at their plates. They all remember their first day so clearly; no wonder she wanted to clam up.

"Sorry..." Matthew muttered before he resumed eating. The rest of the meal was carried on in awkward silence before Madelynn excused herself from the table, cleaning up after herself, before retreating back to the sanctity that was her room. Her eyes quickly found their way to the manila envelope that lain forgotten on her bed, right where she put it. Picking it up, she ripped it open and examined it's contents. Inside, she found a hand written letter among a couple pieces of polished metal. Dumping the parts on her desk, Madelynn quickly read over the letter.

 _Madi, I hope this find you well. I've been made aware of your situation and would like to extend any help if you so desire it. New jobs are tough but I wish to only see you succeed in your endeavors. Inside, I've enclosed a couple items that may belong to you, so I'm hoping they be of some use in the near future. Yours Truly, Valerica._

 _"How cryptic..."_ Madelynn thought to herself as she fiddled with one of the pieces of metal. It seemed like a small buckle of some sort but she couldn't place where it could possibly go. After a few moments of thinking, Madelynn tossed the letter aside, forgotten, and worried about who this Valerica person might be. _"Everyone just loves to meddle in my business."_ She thought.

Suddenly, her computer sprang to life as a new message icon appeared on her screen. _From Brian..._ Madelynn opened the message. _Meet me at floor 11. Time for some training._ It read.

"Geez, can't I get a moment of rest around here?" She muttered as she grabbed her black hoodie and shoes, and proceeded towards the elevator.


End file.
